Julius Gehl

Julius Gehl
Julius Gehl in 1919
German National Assembly
In office
1919–1919
Volkstag
In office
1920–1939
President of the Volkstag
In office
1923–1927
In office
1930–1933
Personal details
Born July 4, 1869
Bromberg, Province of Posen
Died March 1945
Danzig
Political party SPD
Social Democratic Party of the Free City of Danzig
Occupation masonry

Julius Gehl (July 4, 1869, Bromberg, Province of Posen - March 1945, Danzig) was a German social democratic politician. Gehl served as the Chairman of the West Prussian District League of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).[1] Gehl was a prominent leader of the Social Democratic Party of the Free City of Danzig during the interbellum years, serving as its chairman and parliamentary faction leader. Gehl also served as Vice President of the Senate of the Free City.[2]

Early life

Gehl was a masonry apprentice between 1884 and 1887. In until 1890 he was active in the masons' guild. Between 1900 to 1912 he was an official of the Free Association of German Masons.[1]

Political career in West Prussia

In 1912 he became a member of the District Secretariat of the SPD in West Prussia, and would serve as its chairman between 1912 and 1919.[3] In 1915 he became a member of the Price Verification Agency in Danzig.[1]

Gehl was editor of the newspaper Volkswacht, published from Danzig, between 1917 and 1918.[1]

In 1919 Gehl was elected to the German National Assembly, having stood as an SPD candidate in the second electoral district (West Prussia).[1]´

Free City of Danzig

When the Free City of Danzig was formed, the Danzig branch of SPD reconstructed themselves as a separate party, the Social Democratic Party of the Free City of Danzig. Gehl was the party chairman 1919-1920. He then became the chairman of the parliamentary faction of the party. Gehl served as Vice President of the Senate of the Free City of Danzig from August 1925 to March 1931 and twice President of the Volkstag.[2]

Gehl was the editor of the party organ Danziger Volksstimme.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Handbuch der verfassunggebenden deutschen Nationalversammlung, Weimar 1919; biographische Notizen und Bilder, Berlin, 1919
  2. 2.0 2.1 Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen arbeiter-internationale: 1923 - 19. Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 291
  3. 3.0 3.1 Gehl, Julius